Five pastors of the RedeemedChristian Church of God have been rescued by the Ogun State Police Commend nearly 48 hours after they were abducted around J3 Igbere junction around Ijebu-Ode.
It was the only female in their midst that was first rescued Saturday morning, but hours later, the four other men were rescued unhurt.
As the good news filtered out, another emerged from Makurdi, Benue State that a House of Representatives member, Hon. Francis Ottai-Agbo and Council Caretaker Chairman, Ado Local Government, Comrade James Oche, joined Catholic priest in Makurdi to pray for the country.
Coming barely two days after the murder of an Enugu based Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Paul Offu; the clergy prayed for peace in Nigeria. Recall that priests in Enugu took to the streets to protest the killing of men in cassock there by alleged herdsmen.
Fr. Offu, Parish Priest of St. James Greater Catholic Church, Enugu, was allegedly shot dead by suspected Fulani Herdsmen in Awgu Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking at the Priestly ordination ceremony of Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Peregrine Ogla, in Makurdi on Saturday, Hon. Agbo, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, said Nigeria was on the precipice and as such required fervent prayers.
“Nigeria is on the precipice, we need to pray for the return of the soul of this country to Nigeria”, Agbo, who chaired the ceremony said.
According to the Chairman, House Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, it would only take the unity of purpose and determination of Clergymen and the National Assembly to engender peace to the country, as well as restoring the soul of Nigeria, which he noted is the best country in the universe.
He said, “Late Chinua Achebe once wrote a book titled, ‘there was a country’.
“While we in the National Assembly will work hard to reposition Nigeria, we need you the clergymen to pray for the return of the soul of this country called Nigeria, because the soul of Nigeria has since departed from us . This was what Achebe alluded to, when he said there was a country…”
“Nowadays, Reverend Fathers are being kidnapped anyhow, there is no peace in this country. We need the men of God to come together in unison and pray for the soul of Nigeria”.
He also advised young ladies to steer clear of Pastors, Reverend Fathers and particularly the newly ordained Father Ogla whom he described as “handsome and gentlemanly”.
While commending Ogla for sacrificing to serve the Kingdom of God, he urged the Priest never to be distracted by worldly things.
According to Agbo, a lot had happened recently around the circuits of anointed men of God, urging Priests to also resist such temptations as there was a greater task attached to their calling.
Recall that Ogun Police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said, in a statement Saturday, that the remaining four kidnap pastors had been rescued unhurt.
Mr Oyeyemi had earlier told journalists that the woman among them, a deaconess, was rescued unhurt, while efforts were ongoing to rescue other victims.
“The Ogun State Police Command wish to inform the general public that one of the kidnap victims Mrs Ibelegbo Chidinma the only woman amongst them has been rescued unhurt.
“Effort is on top gear to rescue the remaining victims as the kidnappers who kept them in separate locations were changing their locations from time to time within the forest.
“The command hereby wish to assure members of the public that the remaining victims will soon be rescued,” Mr Oyeyemi stated.
